VotSatE: Little Lives
by animatedrose
Summary: AU to VotSatE where none of the Skeksis died. Takes place just after the Gelfling Gathering, so past the 600 trine mark in my canon. Emperor skekSo gives skekTah frightening news involving something the Schemer didn't think possible-Skeksis pregnancy. Love is in the air, Skeksis are pairing off, and children are on the way. Of course, skekTah must be the odd one in this...
1. This is Possible

skekTah needs happy times. Not sure if this overblown AU suffices…but heck, I'm doing it anyways.

This takes place in an AU where none of the Skeksis died. Not really dealing with the Gelfling or anything right away in this, but the Gelfling Gathering has occurred, which is past the 600 trine mark in VotSatE. Essence was found before skekHak died and urYa didn't fall into the shaft below the crystal…because reasons! So this is all, I guess technically, post-Legends manga, so we have the Schemer rather than the Note-Taker here.

Following the hermaphrodite path that SkekLa over on deviantART set since, in the original movie novelization, urSu stated that the urRu evolved from "a species of neither gender"…so yeah, going the hermaphrodite route anatomically with the Skeksis.

The Dark Crystal: Visions of the Start and the End

Little Lives

Chapter 1: This is Possible

"I'm pregnant, Schemer."

skekTah felt his jaw drop. Here he was, summoned to the throne room by the Emperor for something very important, and this was the news he received. It was a good thing he was no longer the Note-Taker. He no longer had papers to drop in his surprise.

The Emperor sat upon his throne, more reclined than usual in light of his sudden weight gain. It had been gradual at first but everyone had begun noting the increased appetite of Emperor skekSo, though nobody dared to point it out aloud. The reason behind this was the Emperor's business and the Emperor's business alone.

Then the back pains came. Walking grew difficult and the Emperor spent more time in his bedchambers than usual. skekLach the Collector, favorite of the Emperor, grew more volatile toward others, puffing and snarling if anyone dared to draw near the Emperor. This combination of events led others to fear the absolute worst—that the Emperor was dying and had left skekLach as his successor.

Thankfully, this was proven false several days later when the Emperor returned to active life, though he spent much more time resting on his throne than he did wandering around. His swollen belly was growing more obvious despite the heavy layers of robes that he wore to cover it. And skekLach's behavior, though lessened, remained more aggressive than usual.

Now the Schemer understood why.

The Collector was close by, hunched and quietly bristling despite the smirk curled on his beak, a completely silent yet feral display of dominance and possession. The Emperor was completely at ease, unaffected by his favorite's behavior. The Schemer, on the other hand, found himself entirely on edge.

"Why are you telling me this?" skekTah asked, trying to avoid choking fearfully on the words.

Generally, telling the Schemer anything resulted in that information being stored away for later usage. skekTah never really forgot things. It's what made him an avid and deadly spy. Any secret given to him put his current contact in danger of having that information used against them later.

This is merely how his current job forced him to function, in direct opposition with his previous title as Note-Taker.

Yet the Emperor treated this release of vital information as if it were a casual exchange of pleasantries. It confused and frightened the Schemer. He didn't like it at all.

"Because I feel I can trust you to keep your beak shut until the moment is right, skekTah," the Emperor replied. "I have trusted skekTek until this point. Now I choose to extend that trust to you. You are loyal to me, are you not?"

There was to be no hesitation in skekTah's response. "Of course I am, sire. There is no other that I am more loyal to, my Emperor."

"Good, good," Emperor skekSo smiled. "skekTek has predicted that my heirs will be born two months from now. They are mine and skekLach's. They will command the respect of the entire court. You will serve as my messenger when the time comes to announce this news. Until then, your beak will remain shut on this matter. Is that understood?"

"Clearer than any crystal, sire," skekTah vowed.

"Good. Now go. You're dismissed."

The Schemer turned and left the throne room in a respectable manner.

When he was away from the throne room, he broke into a panicked run born of pure unadulterated fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the job that lay ahead of him. Fear of the concept that the Emperor had planted into his brain.

They could bear children. He had never known that before.

Deep down, perhaps he had registered that it was possible. Gelfling and Podling had children. All life did, in one way or another.

But most life had something the Skeksis didn't—singular gender.

Anatomy and physiology weren't skekTah's strong points. Those sciences were things that the Scientist dabbled in. All that skekTah really cared to know was that gender wasn't an important distinction for Skeksis. They were hermaphrodites, creatures that bore the necessary parts of the genders defined as male and female by most other creatures. Life required both genders to bring new life into the world.

But Skeksis were of both genders at once and the species was more inclined to dislike and abhor one another. Affection, and by extension, love, was a greatly ignored part of their lives. They did not form the same bonds between one another as Gelfling and Podlings did. They were very different in that respect. Yes, Skeksis felt veritable pleasure in many things, but that was not love.

Then again, did you require love to bring new life into the world?

Was Emperor skekSo in love with Collector skekLach? Was skekLach in love with skekSo? Or did some unknown series of events between them lead to their current situation?

skekTah's mind ran in circles as his feet guided him to the Chamber of Life. He did not understand. He wasn't sure he even wanted to, but the procuring of further knowledge was much more preferable than living in ignorance of this newfound situation.

skekTek knew about this situation. He could give the Schemer the answers he wanted.

.o.o.o.o.

"So you've been told. Emperor skekSo told me to expect as much one of these days," skekTek noted, not removing himself from his research.

skekTah didn't like being in the lab. This was where pain and mutilation and suffering took place. Where dissections and murder abounded, all in the pursuit of knowledge. Gelfling and Podlings were drained here to create the vital essence that kept the Emperor looking young and healthy. This was also where grievous wounds, from battle or otherwise, were treated with less than kind solutions.

The Schemer's back, broken in a nasty fall from a tree over one hundred trine ago, was crudely fixed here with a heavy brace that was hardwired into his carapace, resembling an overgrown turtle shell in its appearance and thickness.

"How long did you know about this?" skekTah demanded.

"About four months. The Emperor didn't even know he was with child until he was about two months in," the Scientist replied, mixing chemicals and jotting notes. "It is rather peculiar. I never thought the connection between him and the Collector ran that deeply."

"How is this possible?"

skekTek paused in his jotting, looking at the other in confusion.

skekTah decided to try explaining again. "I mean, I understand the situation…but I thought such things were impossible for Skeksis. Or at least, we didn't do such things. Mating, I mean."

"Well, you're right on that account. Mating isn't very high on our list of things to do," skekTek shrugged, finishing his notes so he could turn his full attention to the Schemer. "Though the main reason we never bothered mating is because, frankly, most of us couldn't tolerate each other long enough to perform the act. In the beginning, at least. Now that we've all been stuck together for six hundred trine, perhaps our instinctive loathing of ourselves and others of our kind have diminished to the point where such activities can not only be performed…but can succeed in their primary duty."

"…Pregnancy," skekTah guessed.

"Correct," the Scientist confirmed.

"But why would the Emperor want children? He has enough to deal with, with all of us," skekTah argued.

"Didn't you hear me? The Emperor didn't know he was pregnant until it was too late," skekTek hissed. "I had offered to find a way to terminate the pregnancy but lack of information made me reconsider. That and the Emperor decided he wanted to keep his spawn."

"Won't they become competition for the throne one day?" the Schemer asked.

"Perhaps," skekTek shrugged. "The Emperor seems rather certain that he and the Collector can keep them under control and teach them that usurping the Emperor will not be tolerated. He's rather fond of them already, for having not even birthed the things yet."

skekTah paused, suddenly noticing something. "Things? As in…multiple?"

"I don't know. I can't tell precisely," skekTek admitted. "But the Emperor has decided there must be more than one. I've been studying Gelfling and Podling pregnancies in an effort to figure out how you can discern multiple child birthing from singular child birthing. I haven't found much because both species rarely have more than one child per pregnancy."

"This is all so…strange," skekTah muttered.

"It is," skekTek agreed. "It's not something I thought I'd see happen here in the castle. Mating happens between creatures that explicitly feel and express love toward their mates. Hah! It makes one wonder what skekLach did to catch the Emperor's fancy."

"Perhaps it was just being the favorite," skekTah suggested.

"…Are you implying that if skekLach had not become the favorite, it would be skekSil that would be siring the Emperor's progeny right now?"

skekTah shuddered. He didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to think about any of this. Pregnancies and mating and children. It was all so foreign and strange. Skeksis didn't do these things!

And yet, now they did.

"Don't think too hard on it. You'll get a headache," skekTek advised. "I know I did back when I was told of this."

"I'm supposed to be a messenger. I don't know what that means! Messenger of what?" skekTah cried.

"You'll probably be the one to tell the rest of the court that the Emperor will be having children," skekTek guessed. "Again, don't think too hard on it. We have two months left, if my calculations are right."

"Two months," skekTah muttered.

"Yes. Now get out. I'm busy," the Scientist grumbled, returning to his notes.

The Schemer didn't argue. He left immediately, yet his mind wouldn't stop spinning.

The Emperor was having children. The Collector was the other parent. skekTah was being tasked to tell the rest in two months that the Emperor was having children. He wasn't to think too hard on it.

He felt dizzy and tired suddenly. The Schemer decided to put off today's work. He needed a nap and time to process this.


	2. Seeing (and Hearing) is Believing

Thank weasel-girl over on deviantART for pairing ideas with the main group of Skeksis. I winged the rest myself.

Chapter 2: Seeing (and Hearing) is Believing

skekTah decided a week later that he was either blind or affection had spread rapidly while his back was turned.

He'd returned to his duty the day after he'd been made the Emperor's messenger. He'd received no other summons from the Emperor since, so he returned to business as usual. He slunk into his hidden passages and returned to spying.

skekTah didn't dare tell his alliance about his meeting with the Emperor. Only he and skekTek knew, and the Emperor had done it that way on purpose. The Schemer would not do anything to anger the Emperor now. So he carried on with communications as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Yet he began to notice things. They were little things, but they were noticeable to his trained eyes. Things between his fellows that he hadn't put much focus on before.

The cooed whispers between skekEkt and skekAyuk when they thought nobody was looking. The sly looks that skekSil would cast toward skekUng that didn't contain their usual anger, rather some kind of passion instead. The light touches between the hands of skekZok and skekNa when they were near one another. Slight shoulder bumps when skekShod and skekOk would pass each other that looked more intentional than accidental. The far-too-affectionate hugs shared between skekLi and skekYi.

It was even happening between his own alliance members! That was what shocked and scared him the most.

The way skekGra and skekSa seemed content to huddle a bit too close to one another during meetings. The too-playful manner that skekMal would taunt skekVar. The Schemer even began to notice the warmth in which skekHak would smile at him, something the Machinist didn't give anyone else.

Only skekTek seemed unaffected by these bursts of silent affection between Skeksis. Perhaps because the Scientist was so isolated from the rest that no one had tried it on him. Or maybe, like the Schemer, he'd simply been blind to it before the Emperor's pregnancy had occurred.

Whatever the case, skekTah couldn't believe he hadn't seen any of this before. It was so obvious. Most of them were acting like Gelfling around each other, all shy and gooey and cuddly. It was disgusting!

…And yet…

skekTah shook his head, clearing those thoughts away. He had a job to do. He had no time to think about gooey affection between his fellows.

He moved toward the Chamber of Life, the hall around him still and silent. He hadn't seen many spy animals around as of late. The servants too had seemed more inclined to remain close to the Emperor in his state of weakness. skekTah did not mind this. It made it easier for him to move around in the open without being accused of something ridiculous.

There had been a note delivered to him that morning by a Gelfling slave. The handwriting was scratchy and barely legible, so it could only really be skekTek's. The Scientist required a meeting with him.

Immediately.

So skekTah had gotten dressed and ready. A few slaves helped him attach his carapace to his back brace. His last few cloaks, bearing wide holes to slip over and under the carapace and hooked by clasps or brooches around his ruff-covered neck, were donned and then he was off to answer the summons.

It was not the Emperor but, at this time, it was someone just as important, in his mind.

The Chamber of Life was a mess and loud, as usual. Most of the animals inside were broken in the mind or soul and barely moved. Others, mostly the newly-captured or the half-mutilated remnants of experiments that skekTek had lost interest in, made raucous calls in the hopes of summoning help. skekTah ignored them all, the Schemer moving deeper into the chamber in search of its primary occupant.

And nearly ran into skekEkt, who had just hopped off of a table. The Schemer barely managed to turn his frightened jump into a semi-graceful half-spin, keeping his deadly tail away from the Ornamentalist's delicate feet.

"skekTah! What are you doing here?" skekEkt asked, surprised. "I didn't hear you come in!"

"I called him here. Business," the Scientist huffed, shuffling around the table. "You'll be fine, skekEkt. Go back to what you were doing. If it gets bigger, come see me again."

"Okay," the Ornamentalist, tall and ornate in his ruffles and lace, replied with a swift nod.

"Is something wrong?" the Schemer asked, eyeing the taller Skeksis critically.

"Just a bit of unwanted weight. Nothing more. Good day." And with that, skekEkt quickly left the lab.

"…Unwanted weight?"

skekTah hadn't noticed anything off about the Ornamentalist. skekEkt looked fine to him. He looked at the Scientist for answers.

skekTek huffed, turning away to organize his instruments. "Stupid idiot, coming in here and complaining about weight gain. Should've just told him. The look on his powdery face would've been worth it."

"…Is something wrong with skekEkt?" skekTah asked, horribly lost.

"Yes and no," skekTek replied. "He's not dying or anything, though he seemed certain that he was. He's pregnant, though he's very early along compared to the Emperor."

skekTah paused, beak dropping. skekEkt the Ornamentalist…was pregnant? Oh dear…

"Heh! Give him another two or three months, then he'll start shrieking that he's dying again," the Scientist cackled cruelly.

"You didn't tell him?" skekTah dared to ask.

"No. Why should I? He's early along. The pregnancy could still terminate itself, or so my research tells me," skekTek replied. "Why bother panicking him now? Plus the Emperor would need to be told and that's another stressful piece of information that he'd need to handle. No, I won't tell that powder-faced moron until he's further along, if he even gets there."

"But…who?"

"…Who else? The Gourmand. They've been together for a while," skekTek replied. "They were rather obvious about their relationship."

 _Clearly not obvious enough that mating crossed the minds of those that saw them,_ the Schemer groused inside. "Is anyone else…?"

"Not that I know of, but I've been slowly bringing others in here for a routine examination. I've been checking them for this since the Emperor ordered it."

"The Emperor? He knows about these relationships?" skekTah asked, now feeling even more ignorant.

"Knows? Hardly! He asked to see if he was alone in this, nothing more," skekTek replied. "And he is not, though telling him now, so close to term, might mess with the pregnancy. Stress isn't good in such situations."

"…So you won't tell the Emperor?"

"I'll tell him eventually. Just not now," the Scientist said firmly. "Since you're the messenger, I thought you'd want to know this. But keep your beak shut on it."

"Got it," skekTah nodded.

"Good. Now get out. I've got essence draining to do," the Scientist gruffly ordered.

skekTah frowned before withdrawing. The Scientist hobbled about on his false leg. He seemed more stressed than usual. That probably wasn't good. But it was no matter of the Schemer's, so he did as he was told and left skekTek to his work.

The rest of the day passed slowly. skekTah made more observations of the others while in his tunnels.

skekEkt was still complaining about his weight gain, certain that skekAyuk had fed him something to cause it. The Gourmand sputtered a denial and the duo bitterly parted ways until after dinner, where skekAyuk carefully guided the Ornamentalist away from the others. They whispered and huddled close. skekTah cursed his ears for not being sharp enough to discern their softly whispered words. The duo vanished into the Gourmand's room shortly after this and was not seen again that evening.

skekNa joined skekZok in observation of the choir. A few heads were ripped off of Podling singers that fell out of tune with the rest. The Slave-Master cackled cruelly. When the practice was done and the Ritual-Master had sent the slaves away, skekNa drew near to lick the blood from the other's claws. skekZok promptly scolded him for it but did not draw away. They parted afterward to their own quarters.

skekSil and skekUng were in the catacombs, far from onlookers. skekTah didn't observe them for long. The Chamberlain was amorous, pawing at the Garthim Master's robes and hissing compliments and sweet pleas. When skekUng bent his beak to meet skekSil's, the Schemer fled in disgust.

There were various sounds coming from rooms that skekTah could only assume were safely locked. There was no need to spy on the Emperor or the Collector. He'd seen enough for one evening.

Exiting his tunnels, skekTah retired to his own chambers that night. Disrobing and pulling on his sleeping gown with the help of a few slaves, he scarcely reached his bed when he heard a knock. He opened the door to find a Gelfling slave standing there.

"What? It's late," he hissed, annoyed.

The Gelfling, drained and frail-looking, held out a piece of folded paper. skekTah snatched it and looked it over while the slave toddled slowly away. His yellow eyes scanned the neat writing.

It was from skekHak. The Machinist wanted to see him as soon as was convenient for the Schemer.

skekTah sighed, pulling on a heavier robe but leaving the rest of his coverings, as well as his carapace, behind. It was too burdensome to dress again now. He left his room, intent on seeing what his friend wanted and then returning to his own quarters to sleep. The day had been far too long to spend it wandering around all night.

The journey down the stairs to the depths of the castle was long and chilly. skekTah regretted not dressing but it was too late to go back now. Besides, skekHak had a furnace in his room, as well as the melting cauldron. It would be plenty warm there.

Reaching the ornate iron door, he knocked thrice. It did not take long for his friend to answer.

The door opened to reveal the Machinist, taller than him by two heads with deep gray-black skin smeared with soot and ash. skekHak wore his dark goggles, which protected his sensitive eyes from metal debris while he worked. Long-fingered hands bore light burns from many accidents. Beneath the light silvery fluff of the Machinist's receding hairline, skekTah could spot the head wound that the Machinist bore from the division.

"You wanted me?" skekTah said, holding out the folded sheet of paper.

"Come in," skekHak insisted, stepping aside so that the heat of the furnace washed over the smaller.

skekTah didn't argue. The hall was freezing and his feet felt like they were frozen to the ground. The Schemer went inside, positioning himself close to the furnace. His arms were gooseflesh now from shivering so much. The heat felt exquisite and he slumped into a pleased stupor.

"Sorry for calling you down here so late," skekHak apologized, taking a seat and nudging a chair behind the Schemer so he would sit too.

"It's okay," skekTah said, sinking into the chair gratefully. "What did you want?"

"…I'll just cut to the chase," skekHak decided. "You've been acting oddly for a while now. skekVar and I are concerned. Did something happen?"

"I'm just fine. How have I been acting strangely, skekHak?" skekTah asked.

The Machinist frowned, tenting his fingers neatly atop a folded knee. "You've been rather distant lately. You've been spending an oddly large amount of time with the Scientist, too."

"The Emperor has me doing a project with him," skekTah lied. "I'm gathering information and skekTek is compiling a report on it. It's classified, so I can't talk about it. Emperor's orders."

"Are you sure? Because you're not looking at me straight," skekHak noted. "You wouldn't be lying, would you?"

"…I can't talk about it, skekHak. Please," skekTah stressed.

"…Fine. I'll let it go," the Machinist relented, looking away. "skekVar and I were just worried."

"I'm sorry. I'll try not to worry you. I'm just fine, really," the Schemer reassured.

"I hope so," skekHak sighed. "I was starting to think something bad was happening to you. And I wouldn't want…" He trailed off. "It's just… I care a lot about you, skekTah. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, not after your back broke."

"I'm fine, skekHak! Just because my back is broken doesn't mean I'm more pathetic that I already was," the Schemer joked.

"That's not funny," the Machinist muttered.

skekTah withdrew, sighing.

His back had always been a weak point in conversations. Everyone in his alliance seemed to be under the impression that it was a subject that one could not laugh off and he understood why. But putting it in a permanently grim tone whenever it was brought up got boring very quickly.

Besides, it was his back! If he wanted to joke about it, he could!

"skekVar thought skekUng was up to something with you. That's all," skekHak finished, looking away.

"He isn't, that much I can guarantee and will promise you," skekTah stated firmly. "This is between the Emperor, the Scientist, and me. Nothing more, nothing less."

skekHak smiled warmly. "Good. Though I'm still a bit concerned, at least I know our main concern isn't valid."

"As if I'd ever work with skekUng! What would be the point?" skekTah snickered. "He has his Garthim do everything now. He wouldn't need me for anything useful."

"Good point! He does rely on those things a bit too much," skekHak smirked.

"Far too much," skekTah agreed before rising to his feet. "Well, if that's all you needed, I should get going. It's late and the journey back is cold."

"Then stay! I wouldn't mind, if only for the night," skekHak offered. "You can trek back early tomorrow while the rest are sleeping."

That certainly was a plausible scenario. Since the Emperor had grown more slothful through his pregnancy, days tended to start later and later. The rest of them had gladly taken advantage of it to catch some more sleep and rest their aching bones longer, which meant skekTah had a greater window to slip back into his room in the mornings without being caught.

And it was very cold down here in that tunnel.

"Fine. But only until the Rose Sun is up. Then I have to leave," skekTah declared.

skekHak rose to set up the second cot he'd crafted, placing it near his own bed.

It was not the first time he'd had late night guests decide to stay for the night. It had become more frequent as they grew much older, especially after the 300 trine mark, and his own bed was too small to support himself plus another if they were bigger than skekOk or skekTah, so he'd built another cot and had it ready for guests since then. It was well-used between his alliance members and the extremely rare guest from outside of his ring of allies.

It was late, so skekTah retired quickly. skekHak stayed up late with his work, though he tried his best to be quiet. The acrid scent of melting metal and drifting soot dust, while volatile to any other, was a familiar environment to the Schemer. He drifted off to sleep shortly and was out for the evening.

.o.o.o.o.

skekTah didn't want to get up. The bed was so warm and he was comfortable. It was like being in his blanket nest, something he'd construct some nights when it was bitterly cold. He was wrapped up in warmth and he enjoyed it.

He buried his beak against the covers and breathed, soot and the scent of something burning reaching his nostrils. A tug pulled on his beak, rousing him. Was something burning in here? That was strange.

He struggled to open his eyes, hazy gold from sleep, and blinked blearily. He was met with relative darkness, which his night vision rapidly corrected. Funny, his room was never this dark. Where was his window? Surely the sun brothers must be up by now.

He blinked, picking out more details in the green-tinted environment around him. Tools of black metal hung from the wall that he could see over the mound of blankets beside and over him. Funny, he had no tools like these. The Schemer's primary tools were for disassembling door locks and other things to give him access to locked areas in the castle. These looked like…forger's tools…

The Machinist's room.

That's where he was. That explained the lack of a window. skekHak had no windows in his room because he was stationed beneath the castle in relative darkness, living by torchlight and the hefty glow of his furnace and cauldron. That answered why there was a burning scent too.

skekTah struggled to drag his memories together, shoving aside the warm lethargy that threatened to swallow him again. He had been in his room and…received a message from skekHak. He came down here and they spoke…and skekHak had been worried about him. It was cold, so he'd stayed the night.

The Schemer relaxed. He had stayed the night, that was all. For a moment, he had feared that something else less pleasant may have occurred. He was ashamed of himself. How could he think of such things, especially about skekHak?

The Rose Sun was surely up by now. He had overstayed his time here. It was time to get up and go, before the rest stirred and noticed he was gone.

He rose…and was promptly dragged back down to the cot. He squawked, struggling. The blankets! They were alive, constricting him, trapping him! Panic bubbled inside as he fought frantically against the covers and furs that lay over and around him, trying to free himself from their grasp.

"Nnn… Don't go…"

skekTah paused, freezing. He scanned the room. That had been skekHak…but where was he?

"Don't go, Tah… Stay…"

The blankets yanked him down, crushing him against a warm bulk. A quick reassessment made it obvious. The blankets were not alive, thank Thra. It was skekHak, wrapped up and unrecognizable in his own covers, reaching out to keep the Schemer there. The Machinist was deeply asleep, unconsciously mumbling and moving.

"Don't go," skekHak mumbled, crushing the Schemer close. "Stay… Love you…"

skekTah froze. The words had been uttered. Words that Gelfling and Podlings used. Words that had never passed the beaks of a Skeksis, as far as he knew.

And based on all the coupling that had gone on behind his back, he knew nothing.

"Love you… Stay…"

He was tempted to do that. skekHak had been kind to him and, based on the acts he'd seen between other Skeksis, it was clear what the Machinist felt for him. The Machinist held deep affection for him, much deeper than he'd thought.

He could stay here, tell the Machinist this, and see where it went. His bonds with his alliance were strong. With the others having paired off, surely a coupling between him and the Machinist would not be contested.

But was it safe? Was it right?

 _"_ _Now that we've all been stuck together for six hundred trine, perhaps our instinctive loathing of ourselves and others of our kind have diminished to the point where such activities can not only be performed…but can succeed in their primary duty."_

Oh Thra, did he want to end up like the Emperor? Like skekEkt? Pregnant, carrying children?

Would the Emperor even approve of this, of children that were not his own progeny? Or would such children be viewed as competition for his throne, in comparison to his own which he'd already decided would not be?

No, it was too much. This was all simply too much. He could not. Would not! Not now! Not until he knew!

With careful movements, as well as blocking out anymore of skekHak's groggy sleep talking, the Schemer freed himself and fled from the room into the chill of the morning.


	3. I Can Explain Everything

Here you are, the third chapter in Tah's misadventures in the world of soon-to-be parenthood!

Things start to ramp up from here...

Chapter 3: I Can Explain Everything

A month passed quickly in the Castle of the Crystal.

skekTah kept up his observations, reporting anything new he found to the Scientist. The first thing to be reported on was the couplings he'd noticed, which would help skekTek detect pregnancies when he did his 'routine examinations' of the others. He kept the confession from the sleep talking skekHak to himself, though.

The Emperor had retired to his chambers almost exclusively by the end of the month. Walking hurt and he could no longer host meals or events. skekLach cared for him, bringing him meals and keeping the rest of the court away. Even skekTek, who tended to the Emperor's health, found himself on edge if he ever needed to slink past the Collector to reach Emperor skekSo.

The pregnancy was rapidly nearing its end. The Scientist had already deduced that it could end much sooner than he'd predicted. What should be a month could be reduced to mere days.

Tomorrow was the day skekTah had been ordered to deliver the news to the rest of the court. The Schemer was doing his best to try and prepare himself. The Emperor, due to his condition, would not be present. Neither would the Collector, who would be guarding the doors to skekSo's chambers in preparation for any violent reactions to the news.

There shouldn't be any violent reactions, though. skekTek had predicted this based on his findings. skekEkt was not the only one pregnant now.

Apparently skekZok had been pregnant for a few weeks longer than the Ornamentalist. skekVar and skekSa too were pregnant, along with the Chamberlain, all very early along compared to skekEkt and skekZok. None of them had been told yet. This would be revealed tomorrow by the Scientist, who was to join the Schemer in this announcement.

It made skekTah very nervous. Two of his allies were pregnant. It was guilt-inducing, not telling them anything.

One more day. Just one more day and there would be no more secrets. He could last that long.

.o.o.o.o.

"Are you sure we have everything?" skekTah asked.

"Yes, I'm sure! The worst that can happen is that a few of them will yell and try to pick a fight with the Collector," skekTek stated, shuffling papers into order. "What I want to know is if you're ready."

"…As ready as I can make myself," the Schemer admitted.

"Good. Tomorrow will be hectic," the Scientist declared, setting these papers aside. "If your observations are right, then perhaps the news that their mates are pregnant will keep the likes of skekUng and skekNa from trying anything."

"I hope you're right," skekTah said, wringing his hands. "Has this all been delivered to the Emperor?"

"He'll know when we tell the rest of the court. Until then, all this mating stuff between anyone else stays our secret," skekTek replied. "The Emperor doesn't need to know right now. His condition is rather precarious."

"Do you really think it could be days?"

"It's possible. It certainly won't be a month," the Scientist grumbled. "The children developed quickly in the last month. Could be any day now. I've got skekLach giving me daily reports in case there are complications."

skekTah found that rather funny, the fact that the Scientist was now ordering the Collector around. Not even a hundred trine ago, their positions had been reversed. Then again, the Emperor had not been pregnant one hundred trine ago, nor had the Collector cared for him this much.

The concept of love was still a puzzling factor in the Schemer's mind. skekHak's precise usage of the word that chilly morning a month ago still haunted him. Was that word used between anyone else in the castle? Did the Collector proclaim it for the Emperor?

He could not know without asking. He could not ask without admitting to his own experience with the word. And he could not admit to what happened with skekHak. Not to anyone. Not right now.

He put the endless puzzle aside for the moment. He had to be ready for tomorrow. It was to be a big, stressful morning. He would not only reveal Emperor skekSo's secret, but the secrets of others that did not know what they harbored. Including two of his own allies.

It was not a betrayal of trust. There was no trust concerning this. It was okay.

…Right?

skekTek sighed, noting the position of the suns. "I'd better go see to the Emperor. You make sure you're ready for tomorrow, Schemer. We can't afford to mess this up or skip anything."

"I know," skekTah nodded. "Good luck."

"With the way skekLach has been acting, I'll need it," skekTek barked, collecting his cane and a few herbs and medicines before limping from the laboratory.

skekTah left too, deciding to search out his allies. They had all seemed rather on edge as of late. Perhaps they had noted their weight gain, as skekEkt and skekZok had, and were concerned about it?

He'd need to discreetly put those fears to rest. He certainly didn't want a panic to form the day before they'd get the answer to their questions. The last thing they wanted was a riot before the announcement was made.

.o.o.o.o.

skekTah found them meeting together in one of the empty chambers.

There were lots of those in the castle. Countless rooms but only nineteen Skeksis to occupy them. Aside from the insignias and banners along the walls, the tapestries and ornaments scattered about, the room was plain and empty. Yet another nook for alliances to meet and speak together in private, granted no one walked in on them mid-meeting.

His five primary allies were there—skekVar, skekMal, skekHak, skekSa, and skekGra. skekLi, though ally by word of mouth, drifted between theirs and skekZok's alliances. skekYi joined him in this drifting, never quite tying himself down to any alliance in particular. Neither was present, likely off pestering the Ritual-Master, as they were so fond of doing.

"There you are!" skekTah said, approaching.

"skekTah! I thought we'd never catch you outside of that lab," skekVar joked.

"Sorry. The Emperor has me busy with this project," the Schemer explained.

For that was his excuse now. He was involved in a secret project with skekTek, as ordered by the Emperor. It was extensive and exhaustive, explaining his frequent absences. He could not go into much detail due to its secrecy. His alliance didn't pester for details, though they frequently asked about his health and welfare when they managed to catch him.

"Please tell me it's almost done," skekSa begged. "The Emperor can't possibly keep you on this for much longer!"

"It ends tomorrow," skekTah promised.

"Thank Thra!" the Mariner cried.

"What a relief! Maybe we'll finally have our Schemer back fulltime," the General teased.

"Hopefully," skekTah nodded, cracking a smile. "How have you all been? I've heard worrying things from skekTek about those examinations."

"He says it's just weight gain…but I feel that's not it," skekVar admitted, tapping his armored belly. "skekSa and I have been talking. This is much too sudden. Neither of us has altered our routines enough to warrant this sudden…growth…"

"Our diets haven't changed either. skekEkt talks about it too," skekSa added. "He thinks skekTek is hiding something from us. The Gourmand surely isn't to blame for this."

skekEkt was talking about it? Oh no…

"And the Emperor was the first to show these signs! He started gaining weight months ago and now look at him. He can't even leave his chambers!" skekVar continued.

"What are you saying, skekVar?" skekTah asked, suddenly concerned. "Are you saying that…all of these cases are connected?"

"I'm certain they must be. It's the same between us all," skekVar nodded. "Even skekZok has suspected so!"

skekZok was talking too? Oh no…

"skekAyuk has done nothing to the food. The only other that could affect us is the Scientist and all of his chemicals and medicines!" skekGra snarled. "He slipped the Emperor something, saw it succeeded, and is slowly slipping it to us all! Perhaps he hopes to snatch the throne in all this chaos!"

"Hold on! Let's not jump to conclusions!" skekTah pleaded, panic bursting in his chest. If this kept up, the Scientist could be in danger. "This could all be a horrible coincidence!"

"Between six Skeksis? The Chamberlain has mentioned it to me. He too is afflicted with this sudden gain in weight," the Hunter pointed out, frowning. "No, this is no coincidence."

"skekTah, you've been around skekTek for the past month," skekSa recalled. "Has he said or done anything strange while you were around?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all, besides schedule your exams and check on the Emperor," skekTah replied, guilt gnawing at him.

"skekTek is not stupid! He knows the Schemer is clever. He wouldn't do anything to draw attention to himself while skekTah was in the lab with him," skekGra barked. "No, this is being done while he's holed up alone! Thra knows he's by himself enough!"

"I'm sure the Scientist is not involved!" skekTah cried. "He's been going over everyone's exams. He's noticed the weight gain. He's just as confused! Honest!"

"He's faking it," the Conqueror growled.

"And what if he isn't, skekGra? What if skekTek didn't cause this?" skekSa countered, wringing his hands nervously. "What if skekTah is right and we're overreacting?"

"It could be something else," skekMal admitted. "A virus or something."

"skekTah, tell us plainly. You say skekTek is confused by our exams results. He doesn't know what's wrong with us. Has he mentioned any solutions? Anything at all?" skekVar questioned.

"I…" skekTah choked, the urge to spill everything tickling his throat. He forced it back. "He's said nothing. Just wondered what it was and why you all have it."

"That's not good," skekHak said, looking at the General in concern. "If skekTek doesn't know what it is…and it's spreading among us…"

"skekTah… Do you think this could be lethal?" the General asked.

The Schemer froze. Hush fell over the group. Nervous glances were exchanged. skekSa's hand wringing grew more frantic.

Words filled skekTah's head. Words that skekTek spoke. Old reports that the Scientist had made from past studies. Studies that bore…ill results.

 _"_ _Though pregnancy is normal and tends to work itself out over the course of gestation, I have seen complications. They're uncommon but they do happen. Very rarely will the pregnancy result in the child dying. Even rarer will it result in the mother dying. Rare, but not unheard of. I've come across cases. None that I've personally seen, but I've heard enough tales of pregnancies that killed the mother in question. I've even heard of neither surviving to the end. Again, it is rare…but not impossible."_

Will it be lethal?

No, it shouldn't be. skekTek never brought it up before in terms of their pregnant fellows. And it was rare, right? No, it couldn't possibly happen to a Skeksis.

…But what if it did?

It was possible. Gelfling and Podlings had died giving birth before. He doubted a Skeksis was immune to such a thing.

Scenarios burst unbidden in the Schemer's mind. The day coming when the child was born. The birth. A child's first cry. The sudden announcement of the parent's passing.

He pictured skekSa and skekVar in such a position and shuddered violently.

No. Absolutely not. Impossible.

…Not impossible. Rare. Very rare. But possible.

"skekTah?" skekVar questioned, confused by the lack of response.

Oh Thra, he'd never thought about it before. What if skekSa or skekVar, or—Thra forbid—both of them, died from this? What was he to do? He didn't want anyone to die!

"skekTah? Are you okay?" The General had noticed his shaking. Concern colored his voice now. "You don't look so well."

"Do you need to lie down, skekTah?" skekSa asked.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't keep this up. This was wrong. Wrong! They deserved to know! Oh Thra, why hadn't he just told them right away? What if they died? He was an idiot!

This could kill them! They could die! Oh Thra, no!

"You're pregnant."

"…What was that?" skekSa asked.

"Something about something being…pregnant? Speak up, Schemer," skekGra huffed. "We can't hear you when you mutter like that."

"You. Are. Pregnant," skekTah ground out.

"…What?" skekVar asked, baffled.

"You and skekSa. skekZok and skekEkt and skekSil. The Emperor. You are all pregnant!" the Schemer declared. "You are carrying children. You…mated. You are pregnant! That is why you are gaining weight! You have a child, or maybe multiple children, inside of you! You. Are. Pregnant!"

The room fell dead silent. All skekTah could hear was his own ragged breathing. His heart boomed in his ears, drowning every other noise out.

 _There, I did it,_ he thought. _I told them. Guilt absolved. Happy? Because skekTek won't be once you tell him this!_

"…We're…pregnant?" skekSa asked.

"Is that possible? Can we get pregnant?" skekVar questioned.

"I thought that was something everything else did to reproduce," skekGra admitted.

"Well, we have all the right parts. And if two of us did it, then…" skekMal looked away uncomfortably. "Presumably, a child could be formed…and then carried to term…"

"Wait! Are you saying…that skekVar and skekSa…are going to have kids?" skekHak asked. "As in, baby Skeksis. Miniatures of us. Is that what I'm hearing, skekTah?"

"Yes," the Schemer nodded. "Everyone I have named is pregnant. And there may be more. That's the true purpose behind the sudden examinations that skekTek ordered. It was to check to see if anyone else beyond the Emperor was pregnant."

"skekTek knew!" skekGra barked.

"He knows. He's known for a while," skekTah confirmed. "I've known for a month. That was the 'project' I was doing. I was ordered to help skekTek out with this."

"That's why you stuck around skekTek so much! And all the secrecy," skekVar realized. "You were hiding this? Why not just tell us?"

"Because not everyone may think of pregnancy or the resulting children as a good thing," skekTah replied. "The Emperor will be birthing heirs. He doesn't know that anyone else is pregnant yet. Tomorrow, skekTek and I are going to announce all of this before the entire court."

"…But you told us now," skekHak noted.

"…There are cases of Gelfling and Podling pregnancies that ended in death. When you mentioned it, I…I panicked," skekTah admitted, ashamed. "And I didn't want to risk you planning an attack on skekTek over something ridiculous. Look, none of you can tell. Nobody can know until tomorrow. Just stay quiet. If skekTek knew I'd told you—"

"We won't tell," skekSa reassured. "This is…just a lot to take in. I mean…I'm pregnant? I'm…having kids?"

"Oh Thra, so is the Chamberlain," skekVar groaned.

"And skekEkt. And skekZok. And the Emperor," skekGra recalled. "That's at least six kids."

"And that doesn't take into account if anyone else is pregnant," skekMal added.

"skekTek is constantly checking the results for that very information," skekTah promised. "The Emperor is almost to term. That's why we're having the announcement tomorrow."

"You mean he's going to have his kids soon? Oh dear," the Mariner yelped.

"Wonderful. Do I dare ask who his mate is?" skekMal grumbled.

"I think we can all guess, Hunter. He hasn't left the Emperor alone since he started gaining weight," skekGra pointed out.

"Oh yeah," the Hunter sighed. "That should be fun."

"Tomorrow is when this will all be announced?" skekVar asked.

"Tomorrow," skekTah confirmed. "Hopefully nobody will act stupidly."

"Betting skekUng will," skekGra said immediately.

"skekNa too," the Hunter agreed. "I doubt they'll sit back and let this go without questioning the Emperor."

"They'll have fun getting past skekLach. He'll be guarding the Emperor's chambers. He'll never let them in," the Schemer said. "Besides, they'll have their own problems."

"What problems?" skekHak asked.

skekTah smiled deviously. "I'll leave that to tomorrow."

"Tease," the Hunter growled, though it was anything but angry.

"At least it isn't lethal…or as lethal as we suspected," skekSa said in relief.

"How will this even work with us?" skekVar asked.

skekTah shrugged. "Those are questions for skekTek. He knows all of this stuff, not me. I'm just the messenger."

Before anymore questions could be asked, a bell rang. Dinner was ready. Their discussion would need to be curtailed until afterward.

.o.o.o.o.

skekTek wasn't at the table. The Scientist, along with the Emperor and the Collector, was missing. Nobody was blind to this. Suspicious mutters ran the length of the table.

"Perhaps the Emperor has died."

"Will skekLach be the successor? Was he named?"

"The Emperor has been bedridden for most of the month. Perhaps the Scientist is ending his suffering."

"They've all been gone so long. Their dinner is getting cold."

skekTah repressed the shivers running down the length of his broken back. The Emperor and the Collector being gone was fine. The Scientist's disappearance was worrisome. He'd gone to check on Emperor skekSo earlier. Had something happened?

The Schemer hoped not. He didn't want things to go south before tomorrow.

Dinner proceeded quietly…or as quietly as Skeksis went. Which wasn't very quiet at all but it was more quiet than usual. It was rather eerie.

"—idding me, making me come all this way fo—"

skekTek suddenly burst into the dining hall, uttering viciously and limping in his usual fashion. All eyes locked onto him. skekUng rose to demand something, likely an explanation for his absence.

The Scientist didn't give his ally the chance to speak. "skekTah, get up. You need to come with me."

"I… What?" The Schemer bristled in alarm and confusion. "Is somethi—"

"Now, Schemer! We're running short on time! Get up!" skekTek barked.

Chatter instantly ensued between Skeksis. The Schemer glanced at skekVar a few seats down, fear showing on the smaller Skeksis' face. Then skekTah rose and abandoned his dinner, crossing the hall to join skekTek in his exit. The Scientist showed no signs of wishing to speak to anyone else in the dining hall.

Once they had left the noise behind, the Schemer turned to look at the elder. skekTek's limp made his walking lag, letting skekTah easily keep pace with him. skekTek looked upset and angry and…afraid?

"skekTek, what's wrong?"

"Many things, Schemer. You'll need to make the announcement after the fact. This is too soon, much too soon!"

"What is much too soon?" skekTah demanded.

The Scientist rounded on him, monocle eye flashing in a way that appeared entirely menacing. skekTah found himself shrinking back. skekTek frowned bitterly, visible eye narrowing.

"The Emperor is in labor. Right now."


End file.
